"Night Prey"

John Sandord's "Night Prey" is the sixth book in his Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport.  The new Minneapolis Police Chief, who is fighting to retain her job and has political aspirations, calls in Lucas to help solve a murder which one of her female detectives is fixated on -- in the wrong direction many think.

Meagan O'Connell sees a link between a series of murders that others aren't seeing and she's determined to find the truth before she dies and, given she has a terminal illness, she doesn't have a lot of time.  As a result, she comes across very pushy alienating a lot of her fellow officers.  When Meagan and Lucas are paired, he finds her difficult to work with but also has a respect for her instincts and the clues she's put together so far.

In the meantime, we have a view into Koop -- a burglar who seems to have a need to pick up a woman about once a year and kill her then abandon the body in various locations.  When he burglarizes Sara Jensen's apartment, he becomes fixated on her -- so much so that he spends a lot of his time spying on her and several people are murdered when they get in his way.  He's also finding his need to kill increasing and maybe that will cause a misstep that will enable Lucas and Meagan todiscover and stop him.

Lucas is in a semi-committed relationship with a female doctor, Weather, who he met in the last Prey book.  She has moved to Minneapolis to live with him and they are juggling their separate careers and their opposite work shifts fairly well.  Will Lucas be tempted, though, when a female reporter comes on to him?  Will this be the end of his relationship with Weather or just a bump in the road?

As is usual with Sandford's books, it is rich in detail and fast paced keeping me up late at night to finish the book!  pazt

"Contents Under Pressure"

"Contents Under Pressure" is Edna Buchanan's first suspense novel in the Britt Montero series.  Buchanan is a journalist in Miami, Fl, described as "one of America's most exotic and dangerous cities."  Britt Montero, her heroine in this series is a crime reporter for a major Miami newspaper so I'm assuming Buchanan has drawn on her own experience in writing this novel.

The story begins as Britt becomes aware of an auto accident that has left a black man with fatal injuries.  However, he is not just any black man -- He's a former football star with a wife and three young children who works in the poverty-ridden area he grew up in to mentor young black boys to try to get them on a path to a better life.

As Britt uncovers more of the story, she finds it difficult to get details from the police and not all the facts seem to gel so she continues her investigation while also maintaining her daily coverage of major crimes.  She uses her sources within the police department although many of them are very reluctant to talk about this case except for one female policewoman friend who also works the night shift.  She is willing to share anonymous info with Brit about the police "screw ups" who tend to be moved to the midnight shift.  They're the ones that tend to be harder to control, full of rage -- in a word, dangerous.  It was a number of these cops who were chasing this black man on the night he died -- after a BOLO was issued describing his car.

The more she investigates the more hostile some of the cops become towards her and she receives death threats and her clandestine love relationship may not make it if she continues her digging.

I love Buchanan's style of writing and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.  She doesn't make Miami and its high crime statistics sound like a place I'd like to visit, though.  Maybe that's why her female editor is always trying to get her to dampen her stories and write more fluff pieces that won't scare the tourists away!  pazt

"Loving Frank"

"Loving Frank" is a novel by Nancy Horan based on the true affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney.  After Edwin Cheney and his wife, Mamah, commissioned Frank to design a new home for them in Oak Park, Il (a Chicago suburb), the Cheneys became friends with Frank and his wife.  Eventually Frank and Mamah became lovers and decided to leave their spouses and children to be with each other.  It was quite a scandal in the 1920's and eventually Mamah won a divorce from Edwin with summer visitation by her children.  Frank's wife would not grant him a divorce, however, so Frank continued to support her and his children while building a new home, Taliesin, in Wisconsin for he and Mamah.

The relationship took a toll on their friendships and their families as well as on Frank's career but they appear to have been kindred spirits.  Frank had a big ego and Mamah seemed destined to be an "independent" woman and they were suited to each other and remained together until her death.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional account of their romance and was so interested in Mamah and her ability to break away from the traditional female roles of her time that I decided to look her up and learn more about her before I finished the book.  That was a mistake!  If you don't already know the story, I highly recommend you finish reading the book before researching her further!  pazt

"Death Of A Domestic Diva"

Sharon Short's "Death of A Domestic Diva" is a Toadfern Mystery read.  These mysteries are light, fun and quick which is great for a summer novel.  In this episode laundromat owner, Josie Toadfern, is trying to put her small town back on the map by inviting Tyra Grime's, a TV show host knowledgeable on all things domestic, to town to air an episode spotlighting Josie and her stain busting remedies.  However, Josie gets more than she bargained for when Tyra actually brings bad publicity to town and arrives with her own hidden agenda.  Josie ends up with the town angry at her and two murders to solve.  pazt